Method and apparatus for embossing pipes or tubes



Sept- 1936- H. J. LITTLE ET AL 2,054,704 I METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR EMBOSSING PIPES OR TUBES Original Filed March 28, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQRS owaraJQfl/e.

e W.H//1 es.

P 6- H. J. LITTLE ET AL. 2,054,704

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBOS SING PIPES OR TUBES Originai Filed March 28, 1935 :5 sneets-shet 2 INVENTORS.

HO WW (2113mm Geoe W,-

p 1936- H. J. LITTLE ET AL 2,0549704 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBOSSING PIPES OR TUBES Original Filed March 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EMBOSS- ING PIPES QR TUBES Howard J. Little, Fort Thomas, Ky.,

and George Hines, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Newport Culvert Company, a corporation of Delaware 18 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel and improved device for swaging sheet metal blanks and the like and particularly pertains to swaging the ends of tubes or pipes for providing enlarged or bell shaped ends to receive the opposite ends of similar tubes or pipes so that same may be laid in end to end relation and forming continuous conduits.

Generally described the invention relates to a unit comprising a holder which is provided with or is associated with a supportingwall against which a portion of a metal blank or tube may be contacted by means of an impinging device associated with the opposite side of the blank or tube and adapted to force a portion of the blank or tube in contact with the wall of the support. The impinging device is typified by a shaft which is adapted to be rotated relatively to the blank or tube, and it may advantageously be mounted in a support which is adapted to be adjusted in predetermined position and actuated from any source of power. The impinging device is normally resiliently supported in position to receive the blank or tubing to be swaged and when the blank or tubing is in position the impinging device, with a swaging member mounted thereon, may be actuated radially to force the portion of the blank or tubing to be swaged against the support. While the impinging device is actuated radially, it is also rotated to effect the swaging in the blank or tube.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a swaging machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 22 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view with parts broken away taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on lines 4--4 of Figure 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the swaging roll and holder.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts, a swaging device is designated generally at l comprising a base 2 on which a casing 3 is mounted for carrying the swaging means. Also there is preferably formed on the base a pedestal 4 on which any prime mover or power means 5 may be supported in position for actuating the swaging device. Within the casing stud shafts 6 and l are disposed to be journalled on the walls thereof and carry respective gears 8 and 9 positioned to mesh with a gear l0 mounted on a. stud shaft I I. One

of the stud shafts may project through the casing wall and have a gear I2 mounted thereon in position to be actuated by a gear device, comprising a large gear l3 and a small gear l4, interposed between said gear l2 and a gear IS on the prime mover or motor shaft, said gear l2 meshing with gear I4 and gear l3 meshing with gear I 5. Shafts 6 and 1 are extended in substantial parallelism with the shaft H and have respective heads IS and I! provided thereon for a purpose hereinafter to be set forth. The shaft II is adjustably supported in the casing by means of a movable collar or bearing l8 in which one end of the shaft is journalled. A hand wheel 19 is screw threadedly connected with the casing at 20 and to the bearing l8 by a swivel head 2! fitting with pocket member 22 on. the bearing. A lock nut 23 is provided on the screw threaded portion of the hand wheel member for locking the bearing in adjusted position.

The opposite end of the shaft ii is journalled in a bearing 24 which is adjustably mounted within'the casing on wall 25 and resiliently supported by any resilient means, such as a spring 26 interposed between the wall 25 and the bearing 24. A swaging device 21 is mounted on shaft H by means of a lock screw 28 and comprises a body portion having a tapered periphery 29 adapted to contact with the inside wall of a pipe and also having an adjacent flange 30 projecting to provide an abutment for the end of a pipe 3| when positioned on the body portion of the swage. A suitable holder for the pipe during the swaging operation is hereinafter described. One suitable means which may be employed for impinging the. swaging device against that portion of the pipe to be swaged, is typified by a manually operated device comprising a foot treadle 32 connected by links 33, 34 and 35 pivoted together and to a boss 36' that is attached to the casing by bolts 31. Link 34 has pivoted thereto a bar 38 which has one end projecting to impinge against the bearing 24 in opposition to the spring 26 when the foot treadle is operated. Rollers 39 and 43 are mounted on the casing by means of respective bolts 4| and 42 with said rollers in respective alignment with heads 16 and I1. Therefore, these heads l6 and I1, rotating with shafts 6 and 1, and rollers 39 and 40 together provide suitable supports on whichthe pipe holder 43 may be rotatably supported with the outer wall of the support provided with reduced portions 44 and 45 for contacting with the rollers and heads. The holder is preferably composed of sections 46 and 41-, hinged together at 48, that are locked and released by means of a locking lever 49 hinged on one of the sections at 55 and formed to engage in a slot 5| provided on the other section. An enlarged recess 52 is provided in each of the sections of the holder. For securing a truer mating, one section of the holder may be advantageously provided with recesses 53 and the other may be provided with lugs 54 to project therein when the sections are closed.

When the tube or pipe 3! is desired to be swaged one end is clamped in the holding device which is seated upon the rollers, and then the foot t-readle is actuated to impinge the swaging device on the shaft ll against the inner wall of the end of the pipe to swage it at 55 to the conformation of the enlarged recesses 52 formed in the sections of the holding device. As previously stated, by swaging the tube or pipe by rolling contact the swaging or embossment may be effected either before or after the blank has been rolled, and when done after the pipe is formed, there is no possibility of the swaging being incomplete. It has been found preferable to effect the swaging after the pipe has been formed, and a machine has been illustrated showing this preferred embodiment.

The machine has been illustrated in connection with the pipe 3! which may be imperforate or perforated with any number of recesses 56. The machine is not limited tothe swaging of pipes of any particular construction but is adapted for swaging either fiat blanks or blanks which have been rolled to form tubing sections. This case is a division of application Serial No. 13,494, filed March 28, 1935.

While we have shown one embodiment of a machine for swaging a tubing it will be understood that the machine is not limited to all the details of construction set forth but that there may be various changes without departing from the spirit of the invention.

,We claim:

1. A device for swaging a tube comprising a holder for the tube, an annular member having an inner wall of greater diameter than the tube surrounding that portion of the tube to be swaged, and means adapted to be impinged radially against a portion of the inner wall of the tube to swage same in conformity with the contour of the inner wall of the annular member.

2. A device for swaging a tube comprising an annular member having the bore through which a. tube is adapted to be proj ected, a swaging means rotatably mounted adjacent the annular member, a support for holding the tube with a portion thereof spaced from the annular member, and means for impinging the swaging means against the tube to swage a portion of the tube into conformity with the space provided between the tube and the annular member.

3. A device for swaging a tube comprising an annular member having a. bore through which the tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means rotatably mounted adjacent the annular member, a support for gripping the tube and holding a portion thereof spaced from the annular member, means for resiliently holding the swaging means in normal position, and means for impinging the swaging means against the tube.

4. A device for swaging a tube comprising an annular member having a bore through which the tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means rotatably mounted adjacent the annular member, a support for gripping the tube and holding a portion thereof spaced from the annular member, and means for rotatably mounting the support.

5. A device for swaging a tube comprising a support having a core, flared at one portion through which a tube is adapted to be projected, a rotatable swaging means mounted adjacent the flared portion of the tube, and means moving the swaging means radially in swaging position against the tube.

6. A device for swaging a tube comprising a support having a bore, flared at one end, through which a tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means mounted to project within the bore adjacent the flared end, means for radially moving the swaging means to swaging position and means rotatably impinging the swaging means against the inner wall of the tube to swage a portion of the tube in conformity with the flared portion.

7. A device for swaging a tube comprising a support having a bore, flared at one end, through which a tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means mounted to project with the bore adjacent the flared end, a flange portion against which the end of tube is adapted to abut, and means rotatably impinging the swaging means against the inner wall of the tube to swage a portion of the tube in conformity with the flared portion.

8. A device for swaging a tube comprising a holder for the tube, a member adapted to form a wall limiting the movement of the tube portion that is being swaged and means adapted to be impinged against a portion of the tube to swage same in uniformity with thecontour of the said member.

9. A device for swaging a metal blank comprising a holder for the blank, 2. member adapted to form a support limiting the movement of the blank that is being swaged and means adapted to be impinged against a portion of the blank, and means for rotatably actuating the impinging relatively to the blank. 1

10. A device for swaging a metal blank comprising a holder for the blank, a member adapted to form a support limiting the movement of the blank that is being swaged, means adapted to be impinged against a portion of the blank, and actuating means for rotating the impinging means, and means for radially moving the impinging means to swaging position.-

11. A device for swaging a metal blank'comprising a holder for the blank, a member adapted to form a support limiting the movement of the blank that is being swaged, means adapted-to be impinged against a portion of the blank, means for adjusting the impinging means in position, means for resiliently holding the impinging means in position to receive the blank, and means for radially actuating the impinging means against the blank.

12. A device for swaging a metal blank comprising a holder for the blank, a member adapted to form a support limiting the movement of the blank that is being swaged, means on which the holder is movably mounted, means adapted to be impinged against a portion of the blank, and means for rotating the impinging means relatively to the blank.

13. A method of swaging a metal blank comprising providing a support limiting the movement of the blank, holding the blank adjacent said support, impinging a device against that portion of the blank adjacent the support, moving the impinging device radially to swaging position and rolling the impinging device relatively to the blank.

14. A method of swaging a metal blank comprising arranging a support adjacent the support limiting the movement of the blank, supporting the blank with a portion thereof adjacent the support, impinging means against that portion of I the blank adjacent the support, radially actuating the impinging means against the blank in swaging position, and rotating the impinging means relatively to the blank.

15. A method of swaging a metal blank comprising providing supporting surfaces disposed at different elevations, supporting a blank upon one supporting surface with a portion thereof adjacent the other supporting surface, actuating an impinging means radially to swage a portion of the blank to conform with the supporting surface in the other elevation, rolling the impinging means to complete the swaging and withdrawing the swaged blank from the supporting surface.

16. A method of swaging a metal blank comprising providing supporting surfaces disposed at different elevations, supporting a blank upon one supporting surface with a portion thereof adjacent the other supporting surface, normally supporting an impinging means in inoperative position adjacent a portion of the blank, actuating the impinging means radially to swage a portion of the blank to conform with the supporting surface in the other elevation, rolling the impinging means to complete the swaging and withdrawing the swaged blank from the supporting surface.

17. A device for swaging a tube comprising an annular member having a bore through which the tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means pivotally mounted adjacent the annular member, resilient means for holding the swaging means in non-operative position, means acting radially against the resilient means for bringing the swaging means into operative position, and means for rolling the swaging means.

18. A device for swaging a tube comprising an annular member having a bore through which the tube is adapted to be projected, a swaging means pivotally mounted adjacent the annular member, resilient means for holding the swaging means in nonoperative position, means acting radially against the resilient means for bringing the swaging means into operative position, lever means readily manipulated to actuate the last means against the resilient means, and means for rolling the swaging means.

HOWARD J. LITTLE. GEORGE W. HINES. 

